JP5079364B2 - Milking machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a breast pump for milking breast milk.

2. Description of the Related Art A milking device having a milking part expanded in a trumpet shape that comes into contact with a mother's breast, that is, a milking enlarged part is widely used.
In order to prevent the milk that has become mist due to negative pressure during milking, a recess is provided in the upper end of the breast pump body, and a member such as a diaphragm is deformed in the recess. Contained configurations are known.

That is, the thing of patent document 1 is known as a manual milking machine which connects operating means, such as a handle, to the above-mentioned diaphragm and forms negative pressure by repeatedly pulling up the diaphragm by reciprocating movement of the handle.
In addition, several breast pumps having a configuration almost in common with this are known (Patent Documents 2 to 4, etc.).

US Pat. No. 5,749,850 US Pat. No. 6,749,582 WO2003 / 013628 WO2004 / 000390

By the way, in the milking machine of patent document 1, the space which the channel | path guided from the trumpet-shaped milking part connected was provided in the upper part of the container in which the liquid is accommodated, and this space is made to change capacity by a diaphragm.
For this reason, since the space where the negative pressure for milking is formed is large and a large volume has to be sucked, the suction efficiency is poor.
In addition, because the above space is formed in places other than the trumpet-shaped milking part and the diaphragm is attached, the structure for attaching the diaphragm is complicated and difficult to disassemble, and it is difficult to clean all the corners. It is inconvenient to do.

  Therefore, the present invention is excellent in suction efficiency for forming negative pressure, has an effective function of further enhancing the milking effect in addition to negative pressure, and has a relatively simple configuration and facilitates cleaning. The purpose is to provide a breast pump.

The present invention includes a breast pump body including a milking unit that is in contact with a user's breast and milks milk by negative pressure, and a negative pressure generating unit that is disposed in the milking unit and generates the negative pressure, A storage means that can be attached to and detached from the breast pump main body and can store the milk that has been milked, and a storage means that is disposed between the breast pump main body and the storage means and that is milked by the breast pump main body. The milking part has a shape holding part for holding a shape expanded in a trumpet shape, and is attached to and detached from the inside of the shape holding part. A negative pressure generating unit that is a part of the negative pressure generating means, and the negative pressure generating unit generates a negative pressure by deforming at least one end on the expanding side with a flexible diaphragm unit. a folded part of the da diaphragm and part, returned Ri該折Parts exceeds the extension of the virtual abutment to the breast, and a pressing portion for pressing the the breast, and the other end is characterized in that it is connected to the switching means.

According to the configuration of the first invention, as the negative pressure generating unit that is a part of the negative pressure generating means attached to and detached from the inside of the shape holding unit for holding the shape of the milking unit expanded in the trumpet shape Since the negative pressure required for milking is formed by the diaphragm part, the space in which the negative pressure is formed is small, and the volume to be sucked is small, so the suction efficiency is excellent.
Moreover, since the said diaphragm-shaped negative pressure production | generation part is attached / detached inside the said shape holding part of a milking part, decomposition | disassembly and washing | cleaning are easy.
Further, the folded portion of the diaphragm portion, which is a negative pressure generating portion, has a pressing portion that presses the breast beyond the virtual extension line of the abutting portion against the breast.
Thereby, according to the negative pressure production | generation timing of a diaphragm part, the said press part can press the milky ring part periphery of a user's breast reliably by the deformation | transformation. Therefore, not only the suction but also the breast is periodically pressed in synchronism with the suction operation, so that milking can be performed very efficiently.
Thus, it has excellent suction efficiency for negative pressure formation, further improves the milking effect in addition to negative pressure, has a periodic pressing function to the breast synchronized with the suction operation, and is relatively simple in configuration and cleaning It is possible to provide a breast pump that facilitates the operation.

Preferably, the diaphragm portion of the negative pressure generating portion is connected to a flexible tube body via a support portion, the tube body is connected to the opening / closing means, and the diaphragm is attached to the support portion. It is a connection part for connecting with the drive means which provides the drive force to deform | transform. It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
According to the above configuration, the diaphragm portion provided in the milking portion is deformed and driven, and this is connected by the opening and closing means with a tube body, so that milking is performed while effectively milking with a relatively simple and compact configuration. Breast milk can be reliably guided to the container body.

Preferably, as the opening / closing means, the tube body is configured to be deformed when the tube body is displaced and bent along with the deformation movement of the diaphragm part, and the inside of the milking part is formed by the negative pressure generating means. In response to the negative pressure state, the tube body is deformed so that inner walls thereof are brought into close contact with each other, and the inside of the milking part is brought into a negative pressure released state by the negative pressure generating means. The tube body is restored and the inner walls are separated from each other.
According to the above configuration , since the hollow tube body is used as the opening / closing means for temporarily stopping or passing the movement of the breast milk pumped by the breast pump main body, the machine can be configured with a relatively simple configuration. The mechanical strength can also be improved, and handling is easy even during cleaning.
Moreover, the tube body is displaced and bent to open and close the passage according to the movement of the diaphragm portion, which is the negative pressure generating portion, to generate a negative pressure. Therefore, the negative pressure generating motion and the breast milk passage opening and closing are extremely efficient. Interlocking is realized.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The embodiment described below is a preferred specific example of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are given. However, the scope of the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless otherwise stated, the present invention is not limited to these forms.

1 and 2 show the configuration of the breast pump according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the breast pump, and FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of FIG.
FIG. 1 shows a main part of the structure of the milking machine 20, in which the milking machine 20 is a container as a storage means for milked breast milk, and can be attached to and detached from a bottle 47 that can also be used as a baby bottle. A container body 21 is provided.

The breast pump main body 21 includes a frame 42 that protects and supports a conical or trumpet-shaped milking portion 22 that opens outward in an obliquely inclined state and a part of its components.
The frame 42 is formed of a relatively light and strong synthetic resin material, and is formed of, for example, polycarbonate, polycycloolefin, polyphenylsulfone, polyethersulfone, polyamide, polypropylene, or the like.

  The frame 42 of the breast pump main body 21 is provided with an attaching / detaching portion 46 for attaching / detaching a bottle 47 for storing milked milk. The detachable portion 46 is, for example, a flat cylindrical portion, and has a female screw portion 46 a on the inner side, and is screwed with a male screw portion formed around the bottle mouth of the bottle 47. Yes. The bottle 47 may be directly mounted with a pack-shaped bag body, or may be configured so that the bag body and the case body are mounted indirectly via a housing having a male screw portion. . Further, the frame 42 and the bottle 47 may not be directly attached / detached, but may be configured to be attached via an adjustment part having a diameter adjustment and grip function when the diameters are different.

  In FIG. 1, a conical or trumpet milking portion 22 that opens outward in an obliquely inclined state is provided on the upper portion of the breast pump main body 21. The milking part 22 is integrally provided at the distal end side of the slightly expanded open passage that constitutes the air passage 44 forming the negative pressure space, and the milking part 22 side of the frame 42 has a shape that is greatly expanded in a trumpet shape The unit 23 is provided. The shape holding portion 23 is formed integrally with the frame 42 described with reference to FIG. 1. In this case, the shape holding portion 23 can be formed of the same synthetic resin material as the frame 42 described above, and has a relatively high rigidity. Difficult to deform. Note that the frame 42 and the shape holding portion 23 may not be formed integrally, but may be configured to be detachable as separate bodies.

Further, a trumpet-shaped contact portion 24 having substantially the same shape as the shape holding portion 23 is provided inside the shape holding portion 23. For example, the contact portion 24 is detachably attached so that the entire outer periphery, which is the tip of the shape holding portion 23, turns from the inside to the outside as shown in the drawing.
That is, the abutment portion 24 and the shape holding portion 23 are provided with, for example, means for locking each other (for example, a locking convex portion and a locking concave portion, or a size that can be press-fitted, etc.). 23 is attached to and detached from the inside. The abutment portion 24 is formed of a relatively flexible elastic body (elastomer) such as silicone rubber or natural rubber so that the abutment portion 24 can abut on the surface of the breast B indicated by a chain line without giving unpleasant stimulation.

The abutment portion 24 is a flexible trumpet-shaped cylinder, but since it is attached to the shape holding portion 23 and is in contact with the shape holding portion 23, no deformation occurs when the breast B is inserted. The breast B is adapted to fit. Note that an imaginary extension line K of the inner surface of the contact portion 24 (the surface in contact with the breast B is shown in FIG.
On the other hand, the negative pressure generating unit 28, which is a negative pressure generating means that extends in the direction toward the bottle 47 and is disposed integrally with the corresponding contact portion 24 in FIG. 1, is cylindrical with the same material as the contact portion 24. It extends. The negative pressure generating portion 28 is not in contact with the shape holding portion 23, and is preferably a portion that is easily deformed by being made thinner than the contact portion 24.

In other words, the negative pressure generating unit 28 is deformed as a diaphragm unit in accordance with the operation of the user, which will be described later, to be deformed into a solid line state and a dotted line state in FIG.
That is, in the state of the solid line that is the start of use, the deformation wall 28b is folded back toward the inside of the cylindrical outer peripheral wall 28a. And in the state of the dotted line which deform | transformed the negative pressure production | generation part 28, a deformation | transformation wall 28b can produce | generate a negative pressure by moving to the direction spaced apart from the milking part 22, and a deformation | transformation wall by loosening operation after that. By restoring 28b from the deformed state, the negative pressure is released and the solid line returns to the use start state.
In addition, the contact part 24 and the negative pressure generation part 28 may not be integrally formed, but may be configured to be separated from each other at their boundary positions and detachably attachable.

The deformed wall 28b of the negative pressure generating portion 28, which is a diaphragm portion, is a virtual extension of the abutting portion 24 described above, with the apex of the folded portion folded back inward when the negative pressure is deformed as the pressing portion 27. The line protrudes toward the breast B beyond the line K and pushes around the areola (not shown).
Thereby, after the negative pressure is increased, the breast is surely pressed, a preferable stimulus accompanying milking is given around the vicinity of the areola, and the milking effect is further promoted.
Further, one end of the negative pressure generating unit 28, that is, the vicinity of the upper end in FIG. 1, is integral with the contact part 24, but the shape holding which is an end of an arm 33 to be described later is provided on the lower end which is the other end. A support portion 26 is formed so that the portion 33a can be detachably accommodated.
The support portion 26 forms a negative pressure space 44 that is a passage for milk that has been milked inside.

A hollow tube body 31 extends from the support portion 26 downward in FIG. The lower end of the tube body 31 is attached to a hollow cylindrical attachment portion 46 b that stands up from the attachment / detachment portion 46 of the frame 42 that is the lid of the bottle 47.
The tube body 31 connects the negative pressure space 44 connected to the milking unit 22 and the inside of the bottle 47 by a hollow space 45 of the tube body 31 itself.

As long as it fulfills such a function, the tube body 31 may be integral with or separate from the diaphragm portion 28 and the support portion 26, and is integrally formed in the present embodiment.
As will be described later, the tube body 31 is made of a flexible material that is flexible so that it can be easily deformed or bent along with the negative pressure forming operation and that does not break even if it is repeatedly bent. Further, the tube body 31 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be an elliptical cylindrical shape or a long cylindrical shape.

A small chamber valve 37 as an opening / closing means is connected to the lower end of the tube body 31.
That is, the small chamber valve 37 has a hollow cap shape formed entirely of an elastic body (elastomer) such as silicone rubber or natural rubber, and has a space 38a therein. Both side walls 38b, 38c on the lower end side of the small chamber valve 37 are made thin and are valve bodies formed of inclined walls of elastic bodies formed so that the width gradually approaches each other toward the lower end. A slit 38d is provided at the lower end of the side walls 38b and 38c that approach each other, and when milked breast milk is stored in the space 38a of the small chamber valve 37 to a predetermined amount, its weight and negative pressure as will be described later. With the change in pressure when the is released, the slit 38d is opened so that the breast milk is dropped into the bottle 47. Further, by forming the slit 38d at the lower end of the inclined wall, the air in the bottle 47 is prevented from entering the space 30a inside the small chamber valve 37 during negative pressure.

Moreover, in this milking machine 20, as shown in FIG. 1, the negative pressure production | generation part 28 is driven by the manual lever (henceforth a "lever") 35 operated manually, for example.
A configuration example of this driving means will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lever 35 has an upper end in a gripping area 35 a that is pivotable and detachably fixed to a support shaft portion 48 that stands up from an attachment / detachment portion 46 of the frame 42. A part of the lever 35 is a short rod or plate-like link 34 extending upward from the periphery of the support shaft portion 48. The distal end of the link 34 is rotatable around a support shaft at the lower end of the arm portion 33 connected to the negative pressure generating portion 28 and is detachably fixed.

  That is, the arm part 33 is formed of a material having rigidity, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shape holding part 33a on the milking part 22 side of the arm part 33 is formed in a cup shape with an expanded diameter. ing. The shape holding part 33a can be mounted in the support part 26 by inserting the arm part 33 through the support part opening 26a from the milking part 22 side. Thereby, it has the function which prevents the deformation | transformation of the support part 26 accompanying a negative pressure. The arm portion 33 may be integrated with the support portion 26 and the like by integral molding such as insert molding. From this position, the arm portion 33 extends obliquely downward, and is engaged with the above-described link 34 so as to be rotatable around the lower end thereof as shown in an enlarged view in FIG.

This embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the operation of the breast pump 20 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the lower end side of the lever 35 is brought close to the bottle 47 manually and is rotated as shown by the arrow A1 around the support shaft portion 48, the link 34 is shown by the arrow A2. Rotate around the support shaft 48.
As a result, the arm portion 33 moves as indicated by the arrow A3, so that the diaphragm portion 28, which is the negative pressure generating portion, is stretched so as to be pulled by the shape holding portion 33a mounted in the support portion 26. To form a shape as indicated by a dotted line. As a result, the negative pressure in the negative pressure space 44 in which the abutment portion 24 side is blocked by the breast B is increased so that the breast B is milked, and the milked milk enters the negative pressure space 44.

The support portion 26 of the negative pressure generating means 25 is displaced downward in FIG. 1 in synchronization with the above movement, but the tube body 31 can be deformed and can sufficiently follow such movement.
Next, when the user relaxes the force, the restoring force of the deformation wall 28b works, the lever 35 moves in the opposite direction to the arrow A1 in FIG. 1, the link 34 also moves in the opposite direction to the arrow A2, and returns to the position of the solid line. Since the arm portion 33 moves upward as opposed to the arrow A3, the diaphragm portion 28 returns to the solid line state.
As a result, the deforming wall 28b of the negative pressure generating portion 28, which is a diaphragm portion, is formed so that the pressing portion 27, which is the apex of the folded portion that is folded back inward when the negative pressure is released, is the virtual portion of the contact portion 24. It protrudes to the breast B side beyond the extension line K and pushes around the areola (not shown). Thereby, after the negative pressure is increased, the breast is surely pressed, a preferable stimulus accompanying milking is given around the vicinity of the areola, and milking is promoted.
Then, when the negative pressure space 44 returns to the original atmospheric pressure state (negative pressure release), the breast milk accumulated in the negative pressure space 44 by milking passes through the tube body 31 communicating with the space 44 and serves as an opening / closing means. To the space 38 a of the small chamber valve 37. When the breast milk is stored up to a predetermined amount in the space 38a, the slit 38d is opened with the change in the weight and the pressure when the negative pressure is released as will be described later, and the breast milk falls into the bottle 47. And stored.

That is, the user grips the lever 35 in the direction of the arrow A1 and repeatedly operates it by releasing the force, so that the negative pressure in the negative pressure space 44 by the diaphragm 28 is alternately formed and released. Thus, a necessary amount of breast milk can be stored in the bottle 47.
Thus, according to the milking machine 20 of this embodiment, it is excellent in the suction efficiency for negative pressure formation, and further improves the milking effect in addition to the negative pressure, and periodically presses the breast in synchronization with the suction operation. In addition, a breast pump that is relatively simple in structure and easy to clean can be provided.

FIG. 3 is a modification of the first embodiment, and is a schematic plan view of an essential part simply showing a configuration example of driving the diaphragm 28 that is a negative pressure generating unit via the arm unit 33.
An attachment portion 14 is provided at the tip of the arm portion 33, and a long hole 15 that is elongated in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the arm portion 33 extends is formed in the attachment portion 14. A pin 13 provided near the outer periphery of the eccentric cam 12 is inserted into the long hole 15.
The drive shaft 11 at the center of the eccentric cam 12 is a shaft to which a rotation shaft such as an electric motor is fixed.
This modification is configured as described above. When the eccentric cam 12 rotates in the direction of arrow C due to the rotation of the drive shaft 11, the pin 13 of the eccentric cam 12 reciprocates in the long hole 15 in the direction of arrow E. Accordingly, the arm portion 33 reciprocates in the direction of arrow D. This movement coincides with the reciprocation along the arrow A3 direction in FIG. 1 and the opposite direction (A4 direction).
In this way, the negative pressure generating means 25 can be operated not by manual operation but by mechanical drive such as electric drive.

Next, a second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 thru | or FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the principal part of 2nd Embodiment of a breast pump.
4 to 6, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 describing the first embodiment have the same configuration, and thus the duplicate description is omitted.

In the negative pressure generating means 25-1 of the milking part 22 in the milking machine 20-1, the configuration of the support part 26-1 following the diaphragm part 28 which is a negative pressure generating means is compared with the first embodiment. A little different. Specifically, the support portion 26-1 is slightly longer as shown in the figure, and the arm portion 33 and the shape holding portion 33a are not formed. In addition, a pocket-shaped or slit-shaped accommodating portion 51 is formed at the end portion of the support portion 26-1, and a long link 34-1 formed into a plate shape extending above the lever 35 from the opening. Has been inserted.
As the support portion 26-1 is lengthened, the reinforcing ribs 55, 55, 55 for holding the shape of the support portion 26-1 at the time of negative pressure instead of the shape holding portion 33a are made cylindrical here. Four portions are formed so as to protrude from the outer periphery of the support portion 26-1. Instead of forming the reinforcing rib 55, the thickness of the support portion 26-1 may be changed, or the negative pressure generating portion 28 may be integrally formed with a material having rigidity.

In this embodiment, when the negative pressure generator 28 generates a negative pressure in the negative pressure space 44, the tube body 31 connects the negative pressure space 44 and the passage 45 communicating with the bottle 47 to the passage 45. It has a function of closing on the way, and serves as an opening / closing means for a passage between the space 44 and the bottle 47.
For this reason, in 2nd Embodiment, since it is unnecessary, the small chamber valve is not formed.
Further, a short boss-like portion 53 is formed integrally with the lever 35-1 as part of the deformation promoting means extending from the support shaft portion 48-1 toward the tube body 31. The position of the boss 53 is provided at a position corresponding to the bent portion 32 of the tube body 31, and further from the inner wall of the frame 42 to a position corresponding to the bent portion 32 as another part of the deformation promoting means. The convex portion 54 is provided so as to protrude. The support shaft portion 48-1 is configured to form a notch portion on the wall surface of the frame 42 and engage the shaft portion protruding outward from the lever 35-1 with the notch portion.
The tube body 31 is formed separately from the support portion 26-1, and the lower end side is fixed by the seat plate portion 31 a being sandwiched between the bottle 47 and the detachable portion 46 and communicates with the bottle 47. The upper end side is configured to communicate with the negative pressure space 44 by inserting an attaching / detaching convex portion 26-1a protruding outward from the lower end of the support portion 26-1.

This embodiment is configured as described above, and when the lever 35-1 is moved in the direction of arrow B1 from the state of FIG. 5, the end portion of the support portion 26-1 is moved in the direction of B2 by the link 34-1. To do. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6, the deformation wall 28 b of the diaphragm portion 28 is deformed toward the bottle 47, thereby forming a negative pressure in the negative pressure space 44.
At the same time, as shown in FIG. 6, the boss-like portion 53 hits the outer surface of the tube body 31 on the lever 35-1 side, and on the opposite surface, the convex portion 54 hits the outer surface of the tube body 31 and presses it. It is promoted that the tube body 31 is securely bent and sealed.
Due to this rapid bending, the inner surfaces of the tube bodies 31 approach each other and come into contact with each other, and the hollow space is closed. Thus, the negative pressure in the negative pressure space 44 is divided from the bottle 47 side by the reliable and quick bending of the tube body 31, and is appropriately milked without leaking, and the milk is bent at the bent portion of the tube body 31. Accumulate above 32.

Next, when the user relaxes the force, the restoring force of the deformation wall 28b works, the lever 35-1 moves in the opposite direction to the arrow B2 in FIG. 5, and the link 34-1 also moves in the opposite direction to the arrow B2. Therefore, the diaphragm part 28 returns to the state of FIG.
As a result, the space denoted by reference numeral 44 returns to the original atmospheric pressure state (release of negative pressure), and at the same time, the bent portion 32 of the tube body 31 extends to return to the state of FIG. 5, and the closure of the hollow passage is released. Therefore, the passage between the space 44 and the bottle 47 is opened, and the milk accumulated in the space 44 is dropped into the bottle 47 by milking.
Thus, the passage between the space 44 and the bottle 47 can be opened and closed with a simple configuration without providing a small chamber valve.
Other operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

By the way, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.
For example, if the tube body is configured to open and close, as described in the modified example, the so-called electric drive that drives the diaphragm electrically so as to fluctuate the negative pressure and the atmospheric pressure intermittently rather than manual milking. It may be a breast pump, and its drive means may be configured as an installation type separate from the breast pump body and connected by another tube. In addition, each structure of each embodiment can mutually be replaced, or each structure of each embodiment and a modification may be abbreviate | omitted as needed, and may be combined with the other structure which is not demonstrated.

The schematic sectional drawing of the milking machine which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The partial top view of the structure of FIG. The fragmentary top view which shows the principal part of the modification of the breast pump of FIG. The schematic perspective view of the milking machine concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The principal part sectional drawing of the unused state in the milking machine which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The principal part sectional drawing of the movement state in the milking machine which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 ... Milking machine, 21 ... Milking machine main body, 22 ... Milking part, 24 ... Contact part, 25 ... Negative pressure production | generation means, 27 ... Press part, 28 ... Negative pressure generating part (diaphragm), 31 ... tube body, 32 ... bent part, 37 ... small chamber valve, 47 ... bottle

Claims (3)

A breast pump main body including a milking unit that is brought into contact with a user's breast and milks milk by negative pressure, and a negative pressure generating unit that is disposed in the milking unit and generates the negative pressure;
A storage means that can be attached to and detached from the breast pump main body and can store milked milk,
An opening / closing means that is disposed between the breast pump body and the storage means, and temporarily stops or passes the movement of the breast milk milked by the breast pump body to the storage means,
The milking part is
A shape holding portion for holding the shape expanded in a trumpet shape;
A negative pressure generating part which is a part of the negative pressure generating means attached to and detached from the inside of the shape holding part,
The negative pressure generator
At least one end which is the expansion side is a flexible diaphragm part,
By being deformed to a folded portion of the da diaphragm and unit for generating a negative pressure, the folded portion is greater than the extension of the virtual abutment to the breast, and a pressing portion for pressing the the breast Including
The other end is connected to the opening / closing means.   The diaphragm portion of the negative pressure generating portion is connected to a flexible tube body via a support portion, the tube body is connected to the opening / closing means, and the support portion is a drive that deforms the diaphragm portion. The breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the breast pump is connected to a driving unit that applies force.   As the opening / closing means, the tube body is configured to be deformed when the tube body is displaced and bent along with the deformation movement of the diaphragm part, and the inside of the milking part is in a negative pressure state by the negative pressure generating means. The tube body is deformed so that the inner walls thereof are brought into close contact with each other and the inside of the milking part is released from the negative pressure by the negative pressure generating means. The breast pump according to claim 2, wherein the inner walls are restored and separated from each other.

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